Process of shaping metal i-beams, channel-beams, &amp;c.



. Patented Sept. I6, |902. W. A. DUNN. PBDCESS 0F SHAPING METALI-B'EAMS, CHANNEL BEAM s, en.

:Application led Jan. 3, 1902.)

(No Model.)

Paened Sept. I6, |902. W. A. DUNN. PROCESS 0F SHAPING METAL |-BEAMS,CHANNEL BEAMS, 81.0.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

lVILLIAM ABERCROMBIE DUNN, OF SMITI'IlTILLE, MINNESOTA, ASIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ATI'IOL MORTON MILLER, OF DULUTII, MINNESOTA.

PROCESS OF SHAPING METAL I-BEAMS, C3Hf\NNEL-BEAVIS,805%..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,080, datedSeptember 16,1902

Application led January 3, 1902. Serial No. 88,301. (No model.)

To all 11k/71.0771, it 71u17/ cm2/007%:

3e it known that I, WILLIAM ABERCROMBIE DUNN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Smithville, in the county of St. Louis and 5 Stateof Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inProcesses of Shaping Metall-Beams, Channel-Beams, the.; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oftheinven- .tp tion, such as will enable others skilled in the /V art towhich it appertans to make and use' z5 The product. which is the resultof my im-I proved process is unobtainable by existing processes, so faras I am aware. At present in the manufacture by the rolling process ofI- beams, for example, the maximum width of 3o "flange obtained does notexceed seven inches, although there has existed for many years a largedemand for a beam of much greater width of flange, which hasnecessitated the.

furnishing of beams built up from plates and angle-bars riveted orotherwise secured together. Rolled beams of the type referred t0are-universally made from an ingot or slab of approximately rectangularform in crossseetion, and in the processes at presentern--, 4o ployedthe flanges are formed by a rolling" 'pressure exerted against` the topand bottom andehds of the ingot in vertical and horizontal directions.The rolls are provided I with flange-grooves intowhich the metal ispressed; but by reason of the direction of pressure exerted it is impracticable to force the metal to such an extent as will form a angeexceeding seven inches in width. In the processes at present employedthere is ex- 5o perienced the further difficulty of controlling' theshape of the flange during the first passes` 'nel-beams by my process.

.double pair of vertical rolls 2 2.

of the bla'nk `through the,roll swhich frcquently results inan unequaldistribution of the metal to form thejlanges, progyll! 2l imperfectproduct of impaired str gth.

My improved process is designed to overcome the various objections toand obstacles present in existing processesand, motreover, to reduce theexpense of operating andina.. crease the capacity of roller-mills'and atthe 6o same time toproduce a very desirable prod uct hithertounobtainable by a roller process. My improved process is set forth indetail in the following description, and vin'connection willisuchdescription attention is called to the accompanying drawings,illustrative of a means by which my process may be carried into effect.In the'drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a lset ol' shaping-rollsfor forming I-beams t7o by my process. Fig. 2 is an enlargedcrosssectional view of the ingot or slab.`I prefer to employ. Fig. 3 isan elevation of a shaping V. mill, showing a set of rolls for formingchan- Fig. 4 is a view 75 similar to Fig. 3, showing the shape of themetal after repeated passes. Fig. 5 is an en larged sectional view ot'the ingot or slab I prefer to employ in making channel-beams.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 8o designates the frame of themachine, in which is mountedv a pair of horizontal shaping-rolls and inadvance thereof either a single or a In Fig. l, which illustrates amachine adapted to shape an ingot or slab. for I-beams, the horizontalrolls 3 are of similar form, beine,` eaehprovided with a central portion4 the periphery or rolling-surface of which tapers slightly at each sideof the centerand -with grooves Iianlt-l `9c. ing thecentral portiop andeach formed of au inc lined wall 5, a narrow base 6, and asharplyinclined opposite wall 7, extending to the sn r- 'face of thecentral portion 4.

The ingot or slab which I prefer to employ is illustrated incross-section in Fig. 2 and is designated bythe numeral 8. In' practicethis ingot or -slab is passed between the vertical rolls 2 2 and thencebetween the horizontalrolls 3 3, by which it is subjected to roopressure exerted in avertical direction by the portions 4,4 of the rollsand also to pressure augment the width of the flanges and reduce theheight ofgh'ebeam. ltwilllbe understood that the metal isrepeatedlypassed between the vertical rolls Aand the horizontal rollsalternately and that each pass is preceded hy au adjustment .of therollsto reduce it cross-sectionally to the proper size and i rollsis'subjected not only to pressures ex erted in vertical and horizontaldirections, v

r cess of that heretofore obtainable, this be.

shape. It will'be noted that vthe metal in;` passing betweenthevertical'and horizonta but also to a pressure exerted at the,fouredges of the metal in adirection at an angle to the vertical and 4towardthe center of the metal. This last-stated pressure greatly facilitatesthe formation of the langes,` reducing the number of passes of the metalfrom ap' proximately twenty-eight under the present practiced processesto approximately nine, or, in other words, reducing such numbertwothirds. Aside from the fact that owing to this large reduction in thenumber of passes a great saving in the operating expenses results andthe capacity is largely increased my improved process enables theformation of a beam havinga width of flange largely in exing duetotheaeadinesswith which the metal enters the Hangs-grooves when actedupon by the pressures exerted' against it. Again,

in practicing my process the shaping of the metal is at all times undercomplete control throughout the entire body. This feature" is importantwhen it is considered that in the finished product the flanges must beuniform in size and strenfrth and that to produce aperfect beam thedistribution of the metal to form the flanges must be equal. In thepres-v en't practiced processes the'shaping of the entire body of metalis not at all times under control, andthe result is, as above stated, animperfect and weak product.

My process may, as illustrated in Figs. 3 l

and 4, be employed with equal advantage'in theimauufactureofchannel-beams. For this purpose I prefer to employ the special form.

of ingot or slab illustrated in Fig. 5 and designatedby the numeral 9.'The lower roll 10 .of the machine may be substantially similar to therolls 4 employed in the shaping of I-beams, but the companion roll 1l isof different form, being provided with a central cylindrical portion 12,flanking beveled por- 'tions 13 13, and outer portions 1414 of slightlyless bevel than the intermediate portions 18 13.

The operation of the rolls 1012 is similar to that of the I-beam rollsbefore described.

Aided by the vertical rolls 2 2 the metal is pressed .by a'comparativelyfew number of passes to the form shown in Fig. 4, from which, as will beunderstood, it is conveyed 'to intermediate and finishing rolls for thedesi'red reduction in cross-sectional area and the proper form for thefinal product.

My process while designed more particularly for the manufacture of beamshaving comparatively wide Hanges is also adapted for the making ofstandard sizes of beams. When employed for this last-named purpose, agreat saving in the cost of production is effected, owing to therapidity with which the flanges are formed and to the consequent`reduction in the number of, passes required.

I claim as my invention- The herein-described process of makingflanged'beams from metal ingots or slabs, which consists in subjectingthe ingot or slab intermediate of its sides to roller-pressures exertedin a vertical direction, subjecting the sides of the ingot or slab topressures exerted in a horizontal direction, and simultaneously with`the vertical pressures applying rollerpressures to the side edges ofthe ingot or slab in an inwarddirection and at an abrupt angle to thehorizontal.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in'presence of two witnesses.

WlLLIAliI'ABERCROlllBIE DUNN.

Witnesses:

W. I. NORTON, F. L. BROWNE.'

